Her Daughter's Mother

By: Daniela Petrova

Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert, Carlotta Brentan, Dan Bittner, Lisa Flanagan

Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

She befriended the one woman she was never supposed to meet. Now she's the key suspect in her disappearance. For fans of The Perfect Mother and The Wife Between Us comes a gripping psychological suspense debut about two strangers, one incredible connection, and the steep price of obsession.

Lana Stone has never considered herself a stalker - until the night she impulsively follows a familiar face through the streets of New York's Upper West Side. Her target? The "anonymous" egg donor she'd selected through an agency, the one who's making motherhood possible for her. Hungry to learn more about her, Lana plans only to watch her from a distance. But when circumstances bring them face-to-face, an unexpected friendship is born.

Katya, a student at Columbia, is the yin to Lana's yang, an impulsive free spirit who lives life at the edge. And for pragmatic Lana, she's a breath of fresh air and a welcome distraction from her painful breakup with her baby's father. Then, just as suddenly as Katya entered Lana's life, she disappears--and Lana might have been the last person to see her before she went missing. Determined to find out what became of the woman to whom she owes so much, Lana digs into Katya's past, even as the police grow suspicious of her motives. But she's unprepared for the secrets she unearths, and their power to change everything she thought she knew about those she loves best....

©2019 Daniela Petrova (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

O Magazine's "The 25 Best Beach Reads of the Year So Far"

New York Post's "25 Best Beach Reads of 2019 You Need to Pre-Order Now"

PopSugar’s “25 New Thrillers and Mysteries to Sink Your Teeth into This Summer”

InStyle’s “12 Books to Add to Your Summer Reading List”

Time Magazine’s “5 Unexpected Summer Thrillers

“If you’re a fan of thrillers like Girl on the Train or The Wife Between Us, you’ll need to check out this new novel.” (NBCnews.com, “20 End-of-Summer Beach Reads for 2019”)

“A perceptive plot wrapped around how infertility can destroy a relationship fuels the emotional Her Daughter’s Mother.... But Petrova delves deeper in her plot with intriguing twists making even the most benign action and supposed coincidences seem sinister and foreboding.” (Associated Press)

“Beyond the beautiful cover, Daniela Petrova's debut novel is absolutely dreamy and suspenseful.” (O, The Oprah Magazine)

Riveting!

This book had me hooked from the first page!! I highly recommend it! 5 stars all the way.

Just okay

I tried to really get into this one, but I guess I’m in the minority here. It wasn’t awful, but it’s not one that I’ll remember. I kept drifting off and not paying attention. I restarted it a couple times in hopes that it would make a difference, but overall I’m glad I didn’t spend a credit on it.

Story ok but mail narrator was irritating

The story was just ok. Very melodramatic. Primary narrator’s voice was irritating. Hard to finish even though I wanted to find out ending. Maybe better in text but the story line was slow in places.

Goes into complex life struggles - infertility, obsession, guilt.. to name a few!

This book made a long drive seem like a piece of cake! I really enjoyed listening and the story kept me intrigued! Perhaps slightly biased by the fact that I am Bulgarian.. so I identified with the characters on many levels.. loved the fact that the story was told from different perspectives…

Brilliant!

i loved the plot, the twists, the characters! thank you! wonderful book ; very engaging!

Hooked me!

I loved the story line and the plot twists. It kept me guessing after every chapter. I really enjoyed how the narrators brought the characters to life. Couldn’t stop listening

Couldn’t wait to get back to it

So many interesting elements. Infertility heartbreak, the length one will go for the one you love even if the effort is misplaced. A touch of feminism & some down right crazy. All expertly developed in the various characters. Definitely recommend.

Drawn out, hysterical in tone, although ingenious

The author is certainly adept at creating a convoluted thriller with one borderline personality, one histrionic expectant mother, and men who are either well-intentioned schlubs or fiends. I skipped ahead through at least half of the book, tired of being yanked around by people ensnared by their own and other people’s poor choices, I picked it up through the last few chapters to achieve some sort of closure. It gives mental illness an aura of evil, which is unfortunate. Likewise, the author create prurient situations for characters who are attempting to maintain professionalism. That being said, if a good romp through the id clears out the carbon for you, here is an author who will deliver the goods.

Great storytellers

Fantastic narration and compelling storyline. Will definitely read again and highly recommend anyone that loves suspense.

Just what I wanted!

A good listen for this quarantine period. Interesting. Dynamic. A bit sad. I listened through some indoor workouts, meal prep and general distraction.